


Dusting

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-11 23:02:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3336056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of A Coyote's Stories</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Starrk stood in the doorway to his rooms, looking at the person inside in bewilderment.

She was clearly a Numero. To his senses, her spiritual pressure was almost non-existent. As he watched, she continued what she was doing… cleaning his rooms. She had a little cart of tools and right now she was using some kind of brush on his pillows, removing the dust and lint they had gradually collected.

What left him so bewildered was not the fact that she was cleaning, but that she was there at all. The Numero's normally didn't come to his wing because they couldn't. His resting spiritual pressure was too much for them, it crushed them and left them feeling faint. If Starrk wanted things cleaned he had to vacate for a while, usually going to Grimmjow's wing to just hang out. Mostly he didn't bother. It wasn't like lint could hurt him and he didn't do much to dirty the place.

So what was this woman doing in his rooms and how hadn't she noticed him yet? Rubbing his forehead, Starrk released a gentle rush of spiritual pressure. That would… do…

Nothing?

He stared as she picked up the pillow and looked it over for imperfections before setting it aside and beginning another one. Very curious now, he unleashed a larger wave of power. No reaction, although she did pause for a moment before shaking her head. No doubt she was recognizing that the ambient energy in the air was rising, but he hadn't directed it squarely at her. That apparently meant it was unimportant compared to her duties.

Starrk tilted his head to one side, really examining her for a moment. Her back was to him so he couldn't see too much. She was shorter than him by a full head. Her hair was dead black, reaching her shoulders in a very simple, straight style. A piece of silver gleamed as she turned her head and Starrk saw it seemed to be some kind of hairclip. It was holding a lock of hair on the side of her face. He could only catch glimpses of that face, but it intrigued him. Her uniform was a dress with a very full skirt… who was she? Finally deciding to find out, he released a bit of his spiritual pressure right at her.

That finally got a reaction. The woman jumped, startled, before whirling to look at him. He finally saw her face and thought it was extremely pretty. Fine boned, aristocratic features and marvelous blueish violet eyes… her face was completely bare of any makeup, which he rather liked. He'd never card for the dolled up look some of the Numeros favored. But still, who was she? The only females capable of entering his rooms for any length of time were Halibel and her fraccion, none of whom cared for him at all.

"Who are you?" The woman asked and he blinked, suddenly realizing she was just as confused as he was. Did she have no idea who's wing she'd entered?

"I am… Wolf." He said, although that sounded rather stupid. She gave him an 'are you an idiot or do you just think I am?' look and he ignored it, smiling innocently. "May I ask your name?" He said and she frowned, taking a step back.

"I am Violetta Kuroikaze." She said in a slightly frosty tone of voice. "Miramira ordered me to clean this area." She said and Starrk thought that Miramira had been playing a particularly nasty trick on her. However, it seemed to have backfired.

"Mmm. Did you know this wing belongs to the Primera?" He said idly and saw her eyes widen. Then she blinked and steadied himself.

"That's fine. He's not frightening." She said shortly and he stared at her. Not frightening? Compared to what? The other numeros had always been terrified of his spiritual pressure. Not that he enjoyed the reaction… "He's just lazy. I wonder if he needs dusting?" She asked and he couldn't help but bark a laugh. It was funny because after at least one marathon sleeping session, when Lilinette had been too busy to bother him, he had awoken with a fine coating of dust on his face.

"Perhaps he might." Starrk took another step towards her, intrigued. Her scent… it was a lovely, flowery feminine scent but there was something else underneath. Something that smelled like dust and old bones and sang sweetly of danger. Her expression suddenly became wary as she took a step backwards, keeping the space between them. That did her little good as he continued to slowly walk forward, gradually pinning her against a wall. Her breathing was coming fast now and he loved the flush on her cheeks. "But you know, I think there's another part of him that might need dusting…" He murmured insinuatingly. If she could survive this much of his power, how much more could she take? He rose his energy and again, she didn't even seem to notice.

"Are you pimping for him then? I don't think so." She said as her hand dipped into her skirts. He opened his mouth then abruptly leaped back as razor sharp steel came between them, slicing through his hierro and raising just the thinnest line of blood on his chest. She ran then, with nothing but her feet and body to power it. No sonido at all. Starrk could easily have caught her but instead he watched her go, utterly bewildered. Reaching up he rubbed the cut on his chest and held out his hand, looking at the blood. His hierro wasn't like Nnoitra's, it wasn't the basis of his power, but still…

"How did she do that?" He whispered, looking at the blood in his hand. It shouldn't have been possible.

Who was this girl?

It was rather easy to ensure he would see her again. He simply went to see the Numero in charge of cleaning and other homely tasks. She knew him, from the rare times he wanted his wing cleaned. And when he specifically requested a particular Numero to begin cleaning his wing regularly, she was more than a little shocked. At first she tried to protest that the girl would never be able to withstand his pressure but he'd tersely informed her that she already had.

So a rather disgruntled and extremely wary Violetta began making weekly visits to keep his wing clean. For a while, Starrk just observed her, keeping himself hidden. Lilinette, however, had no discretion.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" She challenged the woman. Violette was kneeling beside a dresser and running something beneath it.

"Cleaning." She said shortly before looking up. "May I help you with anything?" She asked politely enough and Lilinette stared at her, taken aback.

"…You know this is Starrk's place, right?" She said after a moment and Violetta nodded. "How are you even here?" That puzzled the Numero.

"I used my feet and walked in?" She asked after a moment and Lilinette scowled, feeling she was being mocked, no doubt. "Excuse me, who are you?"

"I'm Lilinette Gingerbuck! I'm Starrk's fraccion so you better treat me with respect." She snapped and Violetta paused for a moment before giving her a deep bow. Starrk arched an eyebrow at the gesture, then frowned as Violetta spoke.

"Of course Lilinette-sama. I would not dream of being disrespectful." Her voice was calm but to Starrk's ears, there was an edge of painful resignation. His frown deepened as he wondered where the strong young woman he'd observed had gone. Lilinette, though, was mollified by the ready deference.

"Better not! I'm not sure why Starrk's power isn't crushing you, but he'll smash you if you annoy him!" She threatened and he winced from his hiding place. Violetta just smiled, a stilted, false expression.

"Of course Lilinette-sama. Is there anything in particular I can clean for you?" She asked and Lilinette blinked before shaking her head. "May I return to my duties?"

"Oh yeah! Sure. Go ahead." Lilinette gestured and Violette knelt back by the piece of furniture, concentrating on removing dust bunnies. Lilinette watched for a while before becoming bored with the proceedings and leaving to cause trouble elsewhere. Starrk was extremely glad. He didn't want his little game to come to an end too soon and Lilinette would certainly blurt out his name. He stepped out behind the Numero and she twitched slightly, clearly hearing his foot on the ground. But then, he hadn't been trying to hide it.

"Why did you defer to her like that?" He asked, curious. Lilinette was very nearly powerless, certainly not worthy of deference. Her only real strength was her connection to him. Of course, that was a great strength but most of the arrancar in Los Noches didn't really understand it. Violette looked up from another cushion she was grooming, frowning.

"Because she's a fraccion." She said shortly and Starrk tilted his head to one side.

"She has no strength." He probed and she huffed a sigh, turning back to the cushion.

"So? Neither do I." She said bitterly and he blinked.

"Of course you do. You're standing in the Primera's wing." He said, watching her reactions. Her shoulders stiffened a little but there was nothing else. "You must have some strength." Actually, she had to have quite a lot. Somehow, she had cut him. Didn't she know that?

"A useless strength." She said, her voice calm but with an edge of wormwood that made him wince. "Was there something you wanted with me, Wolf? Or are you still pimping for the Primera?" That made him smile. She had no idea.

"I'm sure he needs quite a bit of dusting." He said casually and saw her huff, annoyed. "He has no one to have sex with, you know." That was something that actually saddened him. She turned her head to look at him, her lips quirked in an expression of disbelief. "Halibel doesn't care for him, she likes her girls and they like her. And the poor fellow doesn't like men." Starrk had tried it, once, out of pure loneliness. It just hadn't worked for him. Violetta frowned at him.

"There are plenty of female Numeros." She pointed out and he smiled at her. She still didn't understand?

"None of whom can tolerate his resting spiritual pressure for more than a half-hour." He said easily and she frowned. "Intercourse… the pressures involved… he would kill them." That was simply a fact.

"Really. And you think he wouldn't kill me?" She asked and Starrk very casually pumped more of his reiatsu into the air. She still didn't notice. Even a Privaron Espada would be feeling suffocated by now. Who was this woman, really?

"I have a feeling he wouldn't. You seem remarkably durable." He said and knew it was the wrong thing to say. Something raw and painful flitted through her eyes before she turned away, thumping a cushion with far more energy than necessary.

"Should I be flattered or disgusted? Go away, Wolf. I'm trying to work." Deciding he'd pushed it far enough today, Starrk retreated. But he would be looking forward to her next visit.

This was a very intriguing game.


	2. The Lilinette Installment

Lilinette scowled, wandering around and looking for Starrk.

Starrk was getting on her nerves lately. He was supposed to be on his pillows, sleeping. It was annoying, sure, but that was the great constant in her life. Want to find Starrk? Pillows. Sleeping.

He wasn't supposed to wander around but he was, lately. It had started a bit before that strange Numero had shown up and gotten worse since. For a moment Lilinette wondered if there was a connection but then dismissed the idea. The Numero was okay, but what would she have to do with Starrk?

Lilinette sort of liked Violetta. She was patient and never raised her voice, not like a lot of the Numeros. At first she'd seemed almost scared! Which was nice, Lilinette definitely didn't see that reaction often. Most of the Numeros didn't understand what she was to Starrk so they mocked her all the time. Even the ones who did get it thought she was silly and Starrk should just gulp her down. He could, they all knew he could but they just didn't understand. Starrk had gone to a lot of trouble to create her. Why would he eat her?

Where WAS Starrk? He was in none of the usual spots. Lilinette huffed as she searched and finally, purely by accident, stumbled over what she wanted.

"Given up on pimping for the Primera, Wolf?" That was Violetta and she sounded… weird. Sort of breathless? Had she been running or something?

"Mmm. His dusting can wait. I think mine is rather urgent…" That voice! Although Starrk sounded pretty funny too. What was going on? Lilinette peeked into the room and her eyes went wide. He had that Numero pinned to the wall and was doing something funny to her neck! He was nipping and sucking and as she watched he made a low groan in the back of his throat. To Lilinette, that all spelled one thing.

He was going to eat her!

Lilinette exploded out of hiding and kicked her larger half as hard as she could. He yelped at the unexpected pain as she yelled.

"STARRK! Stop it! You can't eat her! STOP IT STARRK!" She belted him again and he yelped a second time as Violette stared. His grip on her was slackening. Good! "Let go of her! LET GO!" She leapt on him then, grabbing his hair and yanking hard as she tried to knock him over.

"LILINETTE STOP!" He went down with a howl, to her satisfaction. Hopefully the stupid Numero would take the time to run! There was a patter of feet on the ground as Lilinette scuffled with her larger half. "No! Violetta, come back! Lilinette!"

"You can't eat her Starrk! Stop it!" She said firmly, although less urgently than she had when the Numero was in the grip of doom. Her other half stopped struggling as he realized the girl was gone.

"I wasn't going to eat her! I was…" Starrk stopped with the weirdest look on his face. Lilinette frowned. She couldn't remember ever seeing him look like that before.

"You were what?" She asked curiously. There was a long pause. "Oi?"

"…" Starrk squirmed a little before suddenly shoving her off. Lilinette went with a surprised yelp. "…Just leave me alone! And next time, don't interfere!" He snarled before pushing himself up and stalking off. She stared after him in confusion before the meaning registered.

"Next time? Whaddaya mean NEXT TIME? STARRK!" She chased after her other half, intent on giving him a beat down.

He was NOT going to eat that Numero!


	3. Cat in the Cream

Starrk rubbed his forehead, trying to think of how to make his approach.

Things had been going so well, until Lilinette had ruined everything. He'd been gradually wearing down Violetta's resistance. Talking to her every time she came by, teasing and slowly being teased back. She'd been opening up to him, becoming more and more relaxed in his presence. Finally, he'd been about to have sex with her. It had been so close!

Snatched out of his hands by an angry little girl. He'd had to sit Lilinette down afterwards and give her a very frank talk about his intentions towards Violetta. She was completely resistant to the idea. For one thing, she thought he would kill her. For another, she wasn't too keen on the thought of having a… what would Violetta be to her, precisely? A fellow fraccion? A mother figure? It was a bit confusing.

However, all of that depended on his progress with her and it had just gone out the window. He expected the Numero to be wary and defensive now. Expectations that were not disappointed.

"May I help you, Primera-sama?" Violetta said, quickly moving from her work and bowing low to him. The deference in her voice and beneath it, the pained resignation… he'd heard that tone before. It was the same one she'd used on Lilinette.

"Please don't." He said without thinking. He hated that tone. It reminded Starrk of – of… Blue violet eyes flicked up to meet his for just a moment before going back down. "Don't act like a cat that's been declawed and defanged, but is still trying to be proud." That was what she reminded him of, when she acted like this. Trying so hard to maintain her poise in the face of her own powerlessness. That raw, painful look passed through her eyes for a moment.

"That is what I am, Wolf." She said and he was unutterably glad to hear that name on her lips. It was an expression of trust from this bruised but still strong woman. "But I do have work to do here." She glanced towards his tools and he nodded.

"We can talk while you do." Starrk offered, understanding that she wanted his permission. Before, she would simply have ignored him and gone about her business, replying as she chose. Things had still changed. He watched her for a time, working on the cushions. They were cleaner than they had ever been thanks to her efforts. "You know, I envy you." He suddenly said and she paused before giving him a wary, disbelieving gaze. "I've always envied the weak. I'm so alone here. I have always been alone." He said sadly. Violetta smiled and the expression took him aback. It was so full of bitter rage.

"Ah, you would like to be weak? To have any more powerful than you force you on your back and spread your legs, taking you however they want, whenever they want?" She said lightly and he stared. "Perhaps you should consult with Szayel. Perhaps he can make a trinket to give you the weakness you want, Wolf." She beat a cushion with unnecessary force as he swallowed, his mind churning. "I envy you, in your aloof power. What I would not give to be alone." The yearning in her voice… it shook him to the core. He'd known some of the other Espada envied his power, of course, but for someone to envy his loneliness…

"A shame we cannot trade places, then. Although I think we would both come to hate ourselves, in time." Starrk said after a moment. He'd never thought about what it would mean to be that weak. In his dreams, he'd had friends and companions. Not enemies and abusers. Violetta was silent for a moment as she picked up a smaller pillow, inspecting it.

"Perhaps you're right. Too much of anything isn't a good thing." She heaved a sigh before putting the pillow down. Then she gathered her cart to leave the room. He tagged along, with nothing better to do.

"You're much stronger than you think, you know." He offered as she flicked him a glance. "You cut me. The Privaron Espada couldn't manage to cut me." That still astonished him. She looked away with a small sigh.

"Because I took you by surprise. What good is the power of my blade if I can't use sonido? It might as well not exist." She said and Starrk tilted his head. "And my 'durability' only means that I can take more damage than most." Her tone was grim and he winced. After her earlier comments, he knew what she meant.

"Mmm." Starrk watched her for a while. It was entertaining, especially when she knelt and accidentally stuck her bottom in the air, reaching beneath a futon in an effort to gather up all the candy wrappers. Lilinette had a bad habit of just sweeping them away. Even under that heavy skirt, the way those buttocks strained against the fabric was most interesting. "…Do you still like me?" He asked wistfully. He'd been getting so close when Lilinette interrupted. All his constant pestering and gentle teasing had really been paying off, with her smiles and sweet laughs. There was a pause before Violette extracted herself from the futon.

"…I liked you better when I thought you were Wolf." She said honestly, meeting his gaze squarely. Starrk felt a strange pain at the words. "Just a random Numero hanging around where he shouldn't, playing with me for a bit of fun. I… understood that." She looked away, her face slightly pinched. "Now I don't know what you want from me. I'm nothing, compared to you." He moved forward, not using sonido, just his body and swept her into his arms. She didn't try to evade him, although she could have. Blue violet eyes met his and he saw the pain, the uncertainty there.

"You are everything to me." Starrk promised, knowing it sounded a bit stupid. But he meant it, he really did. Hands fisted in his jacket but she didn't try to pull away "Do you like me?" He asked again, hoping the answer was yes. She looked into his eyes for a moment before smiling. It was the sweet, impish smile she'd sometimes graced him with when she thought he was Wolf.

"I like your beard." She reached up to grip his chin, running a thumb over the scraggly thing. Starrk almost blushed. When was the last time someone had touched him like that? Never. "You're… cute." Violette said before blushing and Starrk smiled, amused. He wasn't the only one feeling stupid, it seemed. Then she lifted her head with a slightly challenging motion. "Yes, I like you."

"Good." He said before kissing her again. It felt every bit as good as their first kiss and this time, there was no Lilinette to get in the way. Her lips were sweet as honey beneath his and he could smell that delicate, flowery aroma with the scent of dust and bone beneath. She was so feminine yet so hollow, so weak yet so strong. Starrk wanted her, wanted her more than anything he'd ever wanted in his life.

And she was yielding to him, just like before. He nuzzled her throat, finding the spots that smelled best to him before pausing to suck. Her soft moans and whimpers filled his ears, inflaming his already powerful lust. Starrk nipped that delicate skin, raising a thin line of blood. The woman in his arms had no real hierro, yet she was still so strong. How could that be? Groaning softly, he hiked up that heavy skirt to work on her panties. They were white and frilly and as he hitched them down he saw something.

"Your mask fragment." It was on her belly. A beautiful pattern that reminded him of a flower, it made him lick his lips in anticipation. Although… "Why don't you show it off?" Most of the Numeros he'd seen would have worn a midriff baring shirt, for certain. Violetta made a face.

"Don't kill the romance, Wolf." She said firmly and he blinked before recalling her earlier words. Of course she wouldn't want to attract extra attention. No Espada would ever consider her for a fraccion so it would be nothing but a danger to her. Her hands began to work on the ties to his hakama and Starrk groaned as he kissed her again. His hardness was pressing against her belly, upright and demanding in its' dome of cloth. How he wanted this woman…

She freed him from that confining garment and Starrk held her skirt up with his arms, sliding his hands beneath her buttocks and hitching her up. She was shorter, he needed to hold her… Her legs slid around his waist just as he parted her folds and slid his cock into her inviting heat.

….! Starrk's eyes went wide as his mind suddenly registered what he was doing. The one time he'd had sex with a man, it just hadn't been right. It hadn't been bad, he'd taken pleasure from it, but he hadn't been able to rid himself of the feeling that it was somehow wrong. Something he just wasn't supposed to be doing. This, though, was right. This was what his body craved and her sweet and deadly scent filled his nostrils as he took her. She clung to him, urging him on with wordless gasps as he thrust powerfully into her core, engaging all his senses as her sweet body accepted his. He swiped his tongue across her throat, tasting the salt of her sweat as she let her head fall back. Those gorgeous blue purple eyes gazed at him, hazed with lust and need.

"Faster, Wolf." She moaned and he obliged, groaning as she gripped him so tightly, he thought he might explode at any moment. Instinct came to his rescue. He had no real experience with women but he continued to take her, exploring her throat as he kept sliding in and out of that teasing, clutching heat.

"Please… call me Starrk…" He murmured in her ear as she trembled, her hands fisting in the front of his uniform. He could feel her little body so snug against him, see the look of pleasure and joy on her face… he only wished her dress wasn't in the way. They would need to be less impulsive next time. How she would look spread out over his cushions…

"Starrk. Yes, Starrk!" Violette cried out as her body arched and tightened. Starrk gasped as he felt her insides suddenly spasm, clenching and unclenching as she found her orgasm. "Starrk!" Her voice was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard in his life and instincts said now. Starrk followed them without thought, pressing as deeply into her as he could before releasing inside her.

The flash of power from his orgasm would have killed any normal Numero. Violetta arched under the strain but only gasped out encouragement as he emptied himself, one, two, three pulses into her core. She took the brunt of his reiatsu without flinching and Starrk buried his face in her neck, drinking in her delicious scent. The scent of bone and dust was stronger now, and he reveled in it. That was her hollow nature, her hidden power.

"Well." She whispered in his ear as they both trembled, still caught up in the aftershocks of bliss. "Tell me Wolf, has the Primera had his dusting?" He lifted his head and met those gorgeous blue violet eyes. They were warm and satisfied, content with what they had done.

"For now." He murmured and saw a flicker of desire across her face. He kissed her slowly, langorously before gently easing his body free of her. She regained her footing, staggering slightly as she reached down to draw up her panties. "I think he would like more dustings in the future." Starrk didn't want this to be a one time thing. Oh no, he wanted as much of this gorgeous woman as he could get. Violetta smiled before gripping his chin and kissing him again.

"Count on it, Starrk." She murmured and he almost melted at the heat in her eyes.

He couldn't wait to do this again.

Starrk sat at the table of the Espada and rested his chin in his hands. As he did, he smiled. It was the smile of a cat who'd gotten into the cream, eaten every bit of it and finished it off with a triumphant flick of his tail. Futher down the table, he saw Halibel twitch. His smile widened a bit at the sight. She wasn't his favorite person. Not because she had rejected his advances, but because she seemed to regard him as a particularly unsavory beast. Starrk wasn't entirely sure where she'd gotten that impression, but he felt like a beast today. A very self-satisfied, confident one, his masculine pride well and truly stoked. He caught her silent glare but didn't care. He was beyond pleased with himself.

"Oi, Starrk, you look like you got laid." Grimmjow said as he took his seat and Starrk couldn't help but bark a laugh. He'd never thought the Sexta was so perceptive!

"I did." He said and the entire table looked at him. Aizen hadn't arrived yet, which was the reason he'd responded. Talking about sex in front of their lord and master… no. Bragging in front of the other Espada? Hell yes. "She was the most gorgeous woman you could imagine, Grimmjow." The other Espada had a 'what the hell REALLY?' look on his face.

"A pity no one will ever see her again, with your reiatsu levels." Halibel said, her voice cold as ice. Starrks smile turned into a smirk.

"Oh, I'll certainly be seeing her again, Tercero. She walked out of my wing on her own feet and blew me a kiss." Well, not really, that wasn't Violetta's style. But she'd smiled at him and given him a kiss before she'd left. Nnoitra guffawed and slapped him on the back just as Aizen walked into the room. All attention went to him as they dropped the topic. Starrk could feel Halibel's eyes on him, though. He smirked again, enjoying the feeling.

He'd never been able to taunt her like this before. He really quite enjoyed it.


	4. Congratulations

"Be my fraccion."

"No." Violetta immediately returned and Starrk wanted to shake her. How was he supposed to get through to this proud, obstinate woman?

It was particularly hard to reason with her at the moment, due to the fact that she was entirely naked. Her gorgeous body was on display, all pale skin with darker tips. That lovely little pattern of mask fragments on her belly drew his attention, leading him to slowly stroke the pieces of bone. They were warm and alive, very much a part of her. Then a hand snaked out to grip a portion of his anatomy and Starrk groaned, eyes half-closing as his pride and joy began to come back to life. She smiled, a twinkle in those blue violet eyes.

"I think you need another dusting, Wolf." She said teasingly and he wanted nothing more than to agree, particularly with her hand doing such wonderful, teasing things. But…

"I still want you to be my fraccion." He said, just as stubborn as she could be. Her eyes iced over and her hand left him, to his vast disappointment.

"I've told you before. No one takes a completely powerless fraccion. A fraccion always has something to offer and I'm not a whore, Starrk. Until I have something more to give you than my body I cannot accept your protection." She said, which frustrated him beyond measure. He knew what she endured from her fellow Numeros. He'd already seen livid bruises on that beautiful skin.

"What you have to offer me is more precious than anything in the world. I already have all the power I need. All I need now is you." He appealed to her and those eyes softened. Her hand went back to him and he gasped as those talented fingers resumed their intimate massage.

"That's beautiful but I just can't accept it. Please Starrk, make love to me." She said softly and he couldn't resist. He kissed her, deeply, tangling a hand in that blue-black hair. Her moan as he went down and began to explore her breasts with his tongue was music to his ears. But always, in the back of his mind, the question kept nagging him.

How could he get her to accept his protection?

"Is this the one?"

Violetta paused at the sound of that voice. It wasn't that close to her, not that it mattered. A bit of sonido would have the speaker in her personal space before she could blink and without any sonido of her own, there was nothing she could do. But the voice was female. It was not a sure thing, but females tended to be less dangerous than males.

"Oh, she can't be the one! She's powerless." That voice was younger and more abrasive. Violetta's lips thinned as she continued her work. They had not addressed her directly, yet. "Oi! You! Numero!" Well, there went that plan. Feeling rather annoyed – this old storeroom really needed a cleaning – she straightened and turned towards the owners of the voices.

There were three of them. Female arrancar, they were quite recognizable and Violetta blinked before giving them a deep bow. She'd never really met them before but she knew the Tres Beastias.

"Forgive me, fraccion-sama. How may I serve you?" She asked, glossing over the fact that she didn't know their names. The one with the mismatched eyes glanced her over with a small sneer.

"I'm sure you can't. Seriously, she can't be the one." She said and Violetta wondered what she was talking about. Then the one with the sleeve in front of her mouth spoke.

"She has been going into his wing. Who else can it be?" She asked and Violetta suddenly bit her lip as she understood. They were talking about Starrk. Briefly, she cursed the Primera as she began to get a grip on the situation. It was hardly the first time some female with a straying mate had become jealous of her. He could have at least warned her!

"Forgive me, fraccion-sama. I did not mean to trespass." She said as apologetically as she could. That garnered her a blank look from two of them, but the one with the sleeve just looked amused.

"Trespass?" The buxom one with the dark, wavy hair said, confused. "What are you talking about?" Violetta hesitated, wondering how to explain. Fortunately the other one took it out of her hands.

"She thinks we are jealous of her… relationship… with the Primera." She said smoothly. That made the other two suddenly break into raucous laughter, to her surprise and confusion.

"Oh kami! As if we would touch him." The one with the mismatched eyes said in both amusement and derision. Violetta frowned, feeling vaguely offended. Starrk was a good man and that was rather insulting to them both. Not that she would dare articulate her feelings to a fraccion. The dark skinned one snorted at the thought, waving it away.

"Yeah, as if we'd let his prick anywhere near us. Come on girl. The Tercero wants to speak to you." She said, grabbing Violetta by the arm and trying to sonido away. She ended up dragging the Numero before stopping. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I have no sonido." Violetta said through gritted teeth, trying to hide her pain. Being forced along at high speeds when she simply could not keep up was painful, to say the least. It would have been different if the fraccion had picked her up and carried her, but she'd simply dragged. If it weren't for her 'durability' her arm would likely be dislocated. The woman's grip on her slackened as she looked at her in disbelief.

"How in hell can you possibly be Starrk's squeeze?" She asked and Violetta almost wished she had no pride left to bruise. That hurt, it really did.

"I am extremely durable, fraccion-sama." She said as respectfully as she could, hoping that wouldn't give the other woman ideas. The woman scowled at her.

"I'm Mila Rose." She snapped and Violetta nodded, keeping her gaze down as she hid her hands in her skirts, fisting the fabric. "Oh… for god's sake, do you expect me to carry you?"

"I can walk Mila-sama. It will just take longer." Possibly quite a while. Violetta got up early to make her trip to Starrk's wing. The fraccion snorted before abruptly grabbing her. Violetta gasped as she was slung over one shoulder and carried like she weighed nothing.

The rest of the trip was fast, if humiliating. Violetta barely caught herself as she was dumped on the ground by her unwilling transport. Regaining her footing, she swallowed as she saw a dark back and blonde hair. This could only be the Tercero.

"We got her for you, Halibel-sama!" The girl with the different colored eyes announced. Despite what they had said earlier, Violetta most sincerely hoped the Tercero was not jealous of her relationship with Starrk. She could crush any Numero like a bug. Halibel turned to look at her and she fisted her hands in her skirts as she met those cold green eyes.

"This?" She sounded disbelieving as she raked her gaze over the Numero in front of her. Violetta winced to herself before standing straight and tall. Nothing could protect her but even now, she would maintain her pride. "…Are you certain? I thought it would be someone of Privaron strength." Violetta understood what she meant. The Privaron Espada had a unique rank because they had once been numbered among the Espada, then removed. But there were Numeros who had similar power who had never been inducted into the Espada at all. They were simply Numeros, although often fraccion. Most of Barragan's fraccion fell into that category.

"She confirmed it. She thought we were jealous of her and Starrk." The one with the sleeve said and the others laughed again. Even Halibel laughed, a soft chuckle. Violetta honestly found it slightly confusing. If you could withstand his spiritual pressure, Starrk was an excellent man. He was thoughtful, caring, gentle and kind… really, a treasure among the arrancar. Certainly, he could be lazy and occasionally crude but that seemed like minor flaws to Violetta. She would take lazy over cruel any day.

"Kami! No. Surely you know that I prefer the attentions of my fraccion?" She said and Violetta looked at the ground before answering.

"Of course Halibel-sama. However, all of us might someday seek to breed." She said carefully and almost wished she hadn't as the Tercero stiffened. "In terms of power levels, Starrk would be ideal…" He was the strongest. A child created between him and the Tercero would be magnificent. "I am sorry. I do not mean to offend. It was simply my first thought as to why you would concern yourself." She offered. Really, she should be beneath the Tercero's notice.

"Hm." Halibel's eyes raked over her again and Violetta couldn't help but feel self-conscious. "I assure you, I have no interest in… breeding." She made it sound like a dirty word and Violetta blinked. She was honestly rather in favor of a child, if she could be certain it was Starrk's. Unfortunately, given her circumstances there was no way to be sure of that. "I can sense very little power in you. How can you possibly survive his reiatsu?"

"I am extremely durable." She repeated, feeling sick of it. Then she smiled, although it was not a happy smile. "You can raise your reiatsu to whatever level your fraccion are comfortable with, Halibel-sama." Whatever level that was would be far beyond what most Numeros could tolerate. Halibel just looked at her and Violetta met her eyes as the power in the room increased. She felt it, of course, but it simply felt like a current eddying around her. There was a sound of surprise from one of the fraccion, quickly hushed.

"…I see. Intriguing. Yet you cannot use sonido." Halibel said. She'd noticed Mila carrying her, then. Violetta dropped her gaze, feeling her posture slump a bit. Having no speed was utterly crippling to her. "Can you form a cero?"

"No." That was almost as bad. If she'd had no sonido but still been capable of cero, she could have defended herself that way. "I cannot seem to use any power that is not passive in nature." Violetta had noticed that a very long time ago. "Unfortunately, I do not know why this is so." She knew that Starrk had approached both Szayel and Aizen about it. The thought of the second made her shudder a bit – Aizen himself? – but Starrk didn't seem to care. Of course, he was the Primera. Unfortunately, Aizen was regarding Starrk as a lovesick nuisance while Szayel was interested but far too busy with an important project. He'd promised to eventually see her, but not for some time.

"Hm. And why has Starrk not given you his protection?" She asked and Violetta could hear her disdain for the Primera in her voice. Vaguely, she wondered why Halibel seemed to think so ill of him. It seemed so very strange to her… but perhaps they had a history she knew nothing about.

"He has offered. I declined." She said and the fraccion couldn't resist getting in.

"Declined?! Are you crazy?" The one with the mismatched eyes exclaimed. Violetta looked down, feeling a touch weary. It did seem insane but she couldn't help but how she felt about it.

"Why would you do that?" Mila Rose said close on her heels and Violetta bit her lip. She didn't really want to… but then Halibel spoke.

"Please explain." She said and Violetta could do little else. Sighing to herself, she did her best.

"I am not a whore, Halibel-sama. Until I have something to offer Starrk besides my body, I will not accept his protection." She said firmly as she heard some whispers behind her. "We are hopeful that Szayel may be able to unlock my power. But right now, he is busy with a project for Aizen-sama." And Aizen had made it clear that Szayel was not to be distracted from it. "Forgive me, but if you are not interested in the Primera I am not certain why you are taking an interest." She said, deciding to be blunt. Perhaps it was dangerous, but she thought Halibel might appreciate some plain speaking. The Tercero's eyes narrowed a bit but she didn't seem to take offense.

"It interests me whenever a female may be being victimized." She said and Violetta couldn't help it. She laughed. It was a bitter, pain filled sound and she cut it off as quickly as she could. But she could still sense the surprise of the fraccion.

"Forgive me, Halibel-sama. I do not mean to mock. But does it matter to a bug if it is crushed by a boulder or a mountain?" She asked, which was simply true. Aizen could kill her no deader than any of the Numeros. He probably couldn't even torture her more. They could be quite inventive, sometimes. "Even if Starrk was abusing me, which he is not, it would be no different than what the others do." Yet Halibel wasn't offering to protect her from them. But then, how could she? She would have to take her as a fraccion and the Tercero wasn't about to take on dead weight, even if Violetta would have accepted.

"…I see." Halibel was wise enough to see the painful realities of her situation. Understanding flashed through those green eyes, followed by some compassion. "You should take Starrk's offer. Pride is well and good, but not when it threatens your life." She said and Violetta managed a brittle smile.

"I am very durable, Halibel-sama. May I return to my duties?" She was really getting very behind and didn't want to give Miramira a reason to beat her. Halibel nodded after a moment.

"Mila, carry you back to where you found her." She instructed and the fraccion groaned. Violetta found herself being slung over a shoulder again and hated every moment of it. But what could she do?

She had no power.

Lilinette frowned as she heard a soft sniffling.

She wasn't sure she liked this whole Starrk with Violetta thing. Why did he need to have a squeeze, anyway? He had her, didn't he? Sure, she couldn't do THAT, but did he need to do THAT? He'd gotten by with his hand forever! Well, maybe that was why he needed THAT, she supposed. Hands could get boring, maybe.

Violetta was still nice and she'd survived doing THAT, so maybe she was alright. But she wouldn't be Starrk's fraccion and it was making him sad. He wasn't sleeping as much and Lilinette thought that was just wrong. He kept trying to come up with ideas for how to make her his fraccion. He'd forbidden Lilinette to badger her but she was close to forgetting. If they were going to be doing THAT, Violetta should be his fraccion!

So when she heard the sniffling in the out of the way storeroom, she poked her nose in. Not to her surprise, Violetta was there. But she was crying. Lilinette had never seen her cry before and it was… weird. Like seeing Starrk all awake and worried. Weird.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked and Violetta turned, wiping her eyes for a moment before forcing on a smile. It didn't look right at all to Lilinette's eyes.

"I'm fine, Lilinette-sama." That was something she liked, how Violetta was still respectful but… yeah, something wasn't right.

"No you're not. What's wrong?" She demanded and Violetta dabbed her eyes again before sniffing.

"I just… I think I might be pregnant." She said softly and Lilinette blinked at her.

"Huh?" It took her a moment to get it. She'd never thought of THAT happening! But then, the stuff they were doing was to make babies. She'd just never thought Starrk could have any. Although… "Hey, you don't want it?" Why else was she so sad? Violetta smiled then, but it seemed really sad.

"I don't… know." She rested a hand over her belly, looking down. "I want it if it belongs to Starrk but…" She stopped and Lilinette wrinkled her nose. What did she mean?

"Wait, you've been doing THAT with someone else?" Lilinette said, appalled. "But Starrk really likes you!" She knew that wasn't right. And why would Violetta want someone else? The Numero laughed for a moment before speaking seriously.

"Oh, Lilinette-sama, I don't WANT to do that with anyone else. But as a Numero with no power, they can force me." She said and Lilinette winced as she got it. It was true, the strong could do whatever they liked to the weak. She didn't have to worry about it because she was Starrk's fraccion and only an idiot would tick him off but she still understood that. She just hadn't thought about forcing someone to do THAT before.

"Well, you shouldn't worry. It's Starrk's." She said firmly as Violetta just smiled sadly. "Oi! Don't look at me like that! I know what I'm talking about. Weak can't breed with strong, right?" She said. She remembered hearing that somewhere. Violetta blinked and nodded. "You've got to be a lot stronger than you look. I bet those stupid Numeros couldn't do the job. It has to be Starrk!" Violetta had survived having sex with him and she could stand to be around him even when he was pumping his power into the air. Lilinette had SEEN that. She had to be strong!

"You… you might be right. I've been a Numero for some time and… active… most of it. This is the first time…" Violetta bit her lip for a moment, thinking about it. But Lilinette knew one thing for sure.

"You have to tell Starrk. Right now!" She said firmly and grabbed her arm, tugging her. Violetta winced but went with her. "Now where is he? Probably sleeping…" Although maybe not. You never knew these days.

He was actually sleeping this time. Spread out on his favorite cushion, he was snoring softly with his head tilted back. Lilinette grinned before she leapt right onto his belly.

"ARGH!" Starrk was dragged back to consciousness quite rudely. "Lilinette? Oh, Violetta?" He yawned, trying to shake away the cobwebs as Lilinette straddled his chest, ready to punch him if he didn't wake up fast enough. But he was getting there pretty good. She could be nice to him, sort of.

"Yeah, she's knocked up! Pup in the belly!" Lilinette said sharply and heard Violette choke behind her. Starrk just looked at her funny before his eyes shot wide open and he sat up so fast, she almost rolled off. "Hey!"

"Wait, WHAT?" He said and Lilinette grinned. That was a good look on his face! Kind of reminded her of that one time she'd kicked him in the no no place. Although she hadn't meant to do that. It had been an accident. "Violetta?"

"I… I think I am. I'm late." That confused Lilinette. If she was late shouldn't she be going somewhere? She opened her mouth to say so but then Starrk interrupted.

"Oh kami I… Violetta, you think it's mine?" He was ignoring her then, sweeping Violetta into his arms. That was kind of like those romantic picture books she'd seen once. Lilinette wasn't sure about it but if they were together that was the sort of thing people did, right?

"I – I think so. But I can't be sure." She admitted, pressing her face against his chest. Lilinette watched as Starrk's face tightened for a moment before going all compassionate. He gently stroked her hair, still holding her.

"We'll go to Szayel and he'll make time to see you. He can check, it won't take him long." Starrk said firmly and Lilinette approved. Aizen was a dick, not letting Szayel run some tests on Violetta. What was he doing that was so important anyway? Not that she'd understand it if they tried to explain. It was boring anyway.

Starrk carried her out of his wing and Lilinette grabbed his shoulder, hitching a ride. Starrk could move like the wind when he really wanted to and right now, he wanted to. She wasn't going to be left behind, no way.

"Starrk? To what do I owe the visit?" Szayel was busy with something, not looking up from his computer. Starrk gently set Violetta down but kept an arm around as Lilinette hopped off his shoulders.

"I need you to test something for me. Violetta thinks she's pregnant." That made Szayel look up. Lilinette wasn't too surprised. Kids weren't that common to start with and Starrk was vasto lorde so, well, yeah. "Can you see if it's mine?"

"Hmm? Well… I really shouldn't but it will hardly take a moment." Szayel quickly saved whatever he was working on before rummaging around. "Just a simple reiatsu comparison…" The rest totally went over Lilinette's head. She watched as Szayel came out with his verdict. "The child belongs to you, Primera. Are congratulations in order?" He asked with a smile and Lilinette cheered as Starrk pulled Violetta into a deep, passionate kiss. "I see they are. Congratulations!"

"You must be my fraccion now." Starrk said firmly as they parted. Violetta was looking at him all flushed and adorable. Lilinette nodded firmly.

"Yeah! You're giving Starrk a pup! That's huge!" From what Starrk had been mumbling, Violetta hadn't wanted to be his fraccion until she could give him something. Well, this was it. Violetta took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes Starrk. I'll be your fraccion." They were all over each other then and Szayel was already going back to his computer. Lilinette had to herd them out, which she did with a few well-placed kicks. Starrk's yelp was pretty funny.

But if they were going to do THAT, Szayel's lab REALLY wasn't the place.


	5. The Swarm

Violetta blinked back sweat as a sword headed for her face. She blocked it neatly, the blades grating against each other as she looked into the face of her opponent and clashed reiatsu with him fearlessly. He was smiling, his eyes closed but there was some sweat in his silvery hair.

"You're doin' great! But ya know, I could end this with my shikai anytime I wanted." He said and she bit her lip. She'd already seen Gin's shikai and she knew that was true. "You need your shikai."

"I'll find it." She said as they continued to spar. "It's there… I feel it…" She was having dreams now. Dreams full of black locusts, filling the air and buzzing against each other. The buzzing almost made a word and she knew that when she heard it, she would have her shikai.

With the news of her pregnancy, Aizen had finally let Szayel give her some tests. They had determined that her power was almost entirely shinigami in nature. Shinigami needed to be taught… they were not instinct driven beings like hollows… so now Violetta was getting lessons from both Tosen and Gin. Tosen was teaching her the art of kido while Gin was teaching her shunpo and swordwork.

"Let's call it off for now. Take a breather an' meditate." Gin suggested and Violetta nodded. That was the normal way to communicate with a sword spirit. Most shinigami trying to achieve shikai spent at least an hour a day meditating over their swords. Often they continued it for years, even decades, but Violetta didn't have that long. She was determined to master this.

She jammed her sword firmly into the desert sands before sitting cross legged in front of it. Gin held Shinso differently, across his lap. They both dropped into Jinzen. Gin already knew his bankai but that didn't mean he couldn't benefit from spending time with his sword spirit.

Violetta walked silently through her inner world. The place was very strange, which was rather to be expected of a hollow, particularly one with a main personality composed of many souls. The path she followed was rough stones, and her shoes tapped on them softly. Around her were so many things… delicate little bushes, a shrine, a koi pond, even a small gazebo.

They were grey. All of those things were grey, frozen and looking like they had been carved of stone. The land they sat on was dull grey clay, parched and broken.

"Why is this me?" Violetta asked, gazing into the sky. It was grey and overcast. "It is all so… grey." It seemed so empty and lifeless. Shrugging to herself, she patiently continued to walk. Eventually, she would find what she was looking for.

She did. Little black specs began to fly through the air. Violetta slowed, coming to a halt as more and more of them flew through the air. Lifting a hand, she watched as the black locusts landed on her fingers. Blue purple eyes regarded them sadly, watching as they groomed themselves, regarding her through compound eyes.

"I know you." She whispered to the bugs. She knew them in so many ways… before her mask had been broken, she had been a locust. Was this why?

Yes, you do. The whisper was like the sound of wings rubbing together, chitin against chitin. Soft and scratchy and uncomfortable to hear. Insects landed on her hair, coiling through the thick strands.

"Why won't you tell me your name?" She asked. Every other time, she had asked his name and her zanpakuto had simply laughed. Rephrasing the question did not help. He simply would not speak. So perhaps it was time for a different question.

Because you already know it. The buzzing filled her ears. Violetta felt like she was in a trance, as she watched the bugs swarm. They formed black lines in the sky and somehow, they were familiar. She had seen this before… Remember what you are and what you were, hollow girl. Then, I will be yours again. Again. She'd held this power before.

"I was a shinigami." That was an obvious conclusion. "But…" That was not all she was. Violetta remembered things. She remembered being a young girl and dying to violence. She remembered screams and crying. That was not the life of a shinigami. "I… the shinigami… who…?" It was so hard. So hard to find the right soul. It must be strong inside her but it felt like it was just out of reach.

Remember. That hissing sound filled her ears as she looked at the insects swarming across the sky. Remember. She looked at the dead koi pond and an image filled her mind. The grey fading into vibrant colors beneath a bright blue sky… Remember. A child. A little boy with black hair like hers and grey eyes like his… mother…

Violetta opened her eyes as her sword vanished.

"Kuroikaze." She breathed her last name – no. The name of her zanpakuto. She had always known him. "Wilt, Kuroikaze!" She commanded and stood as streams of insects filled her vision. They slashed over the sands, tearing apart a few boulders, simply because they could. But there was nothing for them to devour and they came back soon enough, forming a cloud around her. Little insects rested on her hands. And Gin came out of his trance at the urging of his zanpakuto to see what was happening.

"Uh… yeah… That's gross." He said, actually opening his eyes as he saw the young woman in front of him. Bugs danced between her fingers and tangled in her hair and there was a soft, grating sound that she easily interpreted as her zanpakuto's laughter.

"It's a very hollow zanpakuto. Perhaps that's why it stayed." She said dreamily, still looking at the insects on her hand. "His name is Kuroikaze and my name is… Sojun. Kuchiki Sojun." She heard Gin draw in a bit of air and smiled at him reassuringly. "Do not be alarmed. My loyalty is to Starrk-sama now." The thought of that little boy hurt. She'd… he'd died when the child was so young. But that boy was a man now and probably a shinigami. He would kill her, without pause. There was also the new child and she dropped her hand there, to the growing bulge. She rubbed it as Gin blinked before smiling.

"Wasn' worried about that! Just surprised is all. You've got much better tits than he did." He said lightly and Violetta blinked before laughing.

"Yes… he's a powerful soul within me, but not the most powerful, obviously." She glanced down over herself before looking at the locusts again. Then she resealed her shikai and the sword reappeared in her hand. "Now I need to work on bankai." She had no memories of that. Sojun had not achieved it before his untimely demise. Gin nodded, his eyes closed as he smiled again.

"Yeah, that's a lot of work. I can help you a bit but it'll pr'bly take years." He cautioned her and she nodded, although she was resolved to learn it in a much shorter time.

She needed to be able to help her mate.

Starrk looked at the enemy he was destined to fight.

He was absolutely determined to win this battle. Not for Aizen, but for his mate and still unborn pup. If he failed he would likely die and without him, the child's chances for survival were poor. Violetta would likely pull through – she was strong and a survivor – but raising a child alone usually ended tragically for hollows. An undefended den was a ripe target.

Pushing aside the horrible mental image of his child being torn to pieces and eaten, Starrk focused all his energy and skill on the man across from him. They clashed in a very even way, before there was sudden, shocking interference.

"VIOLETTA!" Starrk roared as the black stream of locusts swung at Kyoraku, causing the man to dodge and look for his unexpected opponent. He spotted her floating in the air, a set and determined expression on her face. "What in HELL are you doing?!" Starrk was splitting his attention, which put him at a slight disadvantage… but so was Shunsui, keeping an eye on the woman in white.

"Yeah! What are you doing? You're preggers! Knocked up! Pup in the belly! You should be back home safe in the nest!" Lilinette called from where she'd been having her 'duel' with the white haired shinigami. Starrk ground his teeth for a moment. He hadn't been sure about letting the shinigami know that… although it was reasonably obvious. Violetta was around five months along and even her heavy skirts couldn't quite hide her pup swollen belly.

"Wait… hollows can breed?" The white haired man asked, sounding stunned, and Starrk groaned to himself. That was exactly why he hadn't wanted them to know… and of course, Lilinette proceeded to make it worse.

"Duh! Of course they can! But it's pretty rare and special so you SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" She screamed and Violetta had finally had enough.

"I'm SORRY Lilinette-sama but I'm not going to lose my mate! I love you both and I need you and I WILL NOT let you die!" She said before raising her hands and directing the swarm. Shunsui had to keep dodging but Starrk did not add his attacks. As the shinigami was occupied, he sonido'd to her side and scooped her up, carrying her down to Lilinette. "STARRK!"

"No. You are not involved in this." He said firmly, trusting that the shinigami would have a basic sense of decency. Surely they wouldn't kill a pregnant female, even if she was a hollow…? Although if she kept attacking them… "Can you put a kido on her or something?" He said to the white haired taichou, who was watching in bemusement. Violetta yelped in rage.

"Starrk, no! I'll break it! You see if I won't!" She threatened, her blue purple eyes flashing and he closed his eyes for a moment. She probably could. Taking her hands, he disregarded his enemies for a moment. Lilinette was watching his back.

"Violetta, listen to me. You are carrying my child. I can take far more damage than you and I will, to protect the two of you." He said sincerely as she bit her lip. "Please, stay here. Don't interfere. I couldn't live with myself if you died." And if she kept attacking the shinigami would have to consider her a legitimate target. Her shikai was just too damned powerful to ignore.

"Starrk… I… I will." Violetta whispered and Starrk wasn't entirely sure he believed her. He believed she meant it but if he was losing, would that hold? Deciding he would have to go with it, he went back to his battle. One positive of having Violetta there was that she started restraining Lilinette. The way she'd been fighting the white haired taichou was particularly absurd.

On the ground, Violetta watched the battle with wide eyes and a hand to her mouth. Her clothing blew in the wind as Starrk called Lilinette to him and assumed his resurrection. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly but did nothing more. She wanted to fight but splitting Starrk's attention… no, it wasn't wise. She'd known that before she'd come but she hadn't been able to stay away.

Then the white haired taichou went to join the battle and she bit her lip, deeply tempted to join in. She could see they were a team, old and powerful and so used to each other they might as well be a single unit. That… was nothing like how she would fight with Starrk. They would be the exact opposite, almost. He would be desperate to defend her, not relying on her strengths and harmonizing their movements. The thought brought her great pain. What was she to do?

Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate. She had been a shinigami. Didn't she know anything useful about them? Hadn't she ever sparred with them…? Abruptly an image filled her mind.

"Shunsui!" Yes! She remembered him. She remembered… "Starrk! Ogre from the shadows! If you step on your shadow he can attack you from it!" Violetta called to her mate. She caught the strange look on Shunsui's face as he glanced down at her. "He can hide in the shadows!" Oh, how she remembered that.

"Please tell your mate that if she keeps giving away my secrets, I'll be forced to silence her." Shunsui warned. He really didn't want to kill a pregnant woman, even if she was a hollow. But he had to win. Failure was simply not an option. Starrk groaned in frustration before yelling at the ground.

"Violetta! Shut up!" He appreciated the information but not at the possible cost of her life.

The battle continued, raging violently until Shunsui and Juushiro were defeated. Violetta vacillated a moment before going to the fallen shinigami. She seriously considered ending their lives but as she lifted her sword, she found she simply couldn't. A memory intruded in her mind, painful in its clarity.

"Very good! If you continue this way, you'll find your bankai someday." The smile on his sensei's face warmed him to his toes and he smiled back shyly.

"Thank you, Kyoraku taichou."

"This is so hard." She whispered. That soul, the one that held most of her power, knew these men and loved them. Sighing to herself, she left the brown haired one. He would recover just fine, anyway. She knelt beside the white haired taichou, giving him gentle healing and mending the worst of the internal damage. He looked at her in confusion.

"Why… are you…?" He coughed heavily, bringing up blood and she paused to gently stroke that long white hair. It was silky beneath her fingers.

"Because I remember you, Ukitake taichou." She said softly and his eyes widened as he realized that he had never introduced himself to her.

"Who…?" He asked and she shook her head. She did not think revealing her identity would be wise. Although, if they thought hard enough about it they might remember her shikai. The one thing that would lead them astray was her appearance. Her hair and eyes were the same, but as Gin had said, Violetta had much better tits than Sojun had ever owned.

"A shinigami is part of me. That is all I will say." She said firmly as she stood. He would survive now and she did not want to heal him too much. Starrk was her primary concern. Biting her lip, she watched him fighting strongly against the Visored. The child she was carrying gave him strength and determination, but would it be enough? "…" Pulling out her sword, she jammed it point first into the building. Then she stared at it, daring her zanpakuto. "Give me your bankai." She whispered, resting a hand on the hilt as she concentrated on drawing the sword spirit out.

Perhaps it was her desperation. Perhaps it was simply the right time and place. Perhaps it was fate. But whatever it was, her sword spirit came. He stood in front of her and she heard Juushiro retch at the sight. It was quite horrifying. A man form of shifting bugs, thin and skeletal and particularly grotesque. Violetta just met yellow eyes, feeling the malice and eternal hunger in the spirit that faced her. He longed to devour everything. It was his nature.

You think you can master me? Kuroikaze's voice was the shifting of the insects, soft yet hard edged, not even remotely gentle. You think you can command my power?

"Yes. Because I am a hollow and we are so much the same." She said, pitting her will and hunger directly against his. The staring contest continued, but it was nothing compared to what was going on beneath. Violetta understood, vaguely, that this was how she would earn her bankai… or die. If she failed to control him, her zanpakuto would devour her. That was his challenge to her.

It was hard. So incredibly hard. Violetta had no idea how long she was locked in contention, fighting to control the power she'd called out of her sword and soul. But finally there was a hiss of annoyance before the form in front of her bent his head. Then he dissolved in a cloud of locusts and Violetta took a deep breath, blinking as the knowledge of her bankai filled her. She would still be new with it, but she could sense that he was a very independent sort of power. She could set him free and he would destroy as she willed.

Looking up, Violetta was horrified to see that the brown haired shinigami had recovered even faster than she'd anticipated. He was fighting Starrk now and she knew, with sick certainty that her mate was not going to win. She could feel it in the air, the way the battle was going…

Neither of the combatants were expecting what happened next. Starrk knew he was a dead man as he fell for the haori feint. Shunsui was ready to make it happen, just about to take his slash when a hand of darkness grabbed the arrancar and lifted him away. His eyes went wide but he had no time to dodge before the second hand closed over him.

Starrk watched, his eyes wide with horror and amazement as little droplets of blood splattered through the air. They were tiny, but there were so many of them… it didn't take a genius to understand that the shinigami inside the writhing bugs was being shredded. The same insects were holding him in place, gently running over his clothing and Starrk shuddered in revulsion before looking down. Violetta was looking up at them, her eyes filled with silent tears.

"I'm sorry, Kyoraku taichou." She whispered as she felt the energy of the man, his soul, flow into her as his body ceased to exist. It hurt so much, what she had done, but she'd been forced to make a choice. And she simply could not let her mate die. Her loyalty was not to Aizen, but the man above and the unborn child inside her. Blinking, she mentally ordered her zanpakuto to release Starrk. He did, although he registered the usual complaint… that the arrancar looked tasty. Violetta sighed to herself. "Wasn't Shunsui enough?" But of course he wasn't. Kuroikaze could never be satisfied. He would devour the world, if he could.

As Starrk flew down to her, still shocked by the abrupt end of his battle, Violetta sent Kuroikaze after another target. That was the ice surrounding Halibel. The little taichou who had imprisoned her was caught completely off guard as a massive fist of inky black smashed through the ice imprisoning her, freeing the Espada.

"No!" Starrk shot at something then, startling her. Violetta turned, wide-eyed, to see that someone had correctly identified her as the source of the problem they were facing. It was one of the Visored… summoning Kuroikaze back, she concentrated on the battle.

They would do what they could to ensure Aizen's victory.


	6. The Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This is actually the original version of this chapter of Dusting… I decided not to do it because I thought it didn't make much sense. I hadn't mentioned Violetta and Starrk having a Mating Claim, and they would, if Claiming was involved. However, that last chapter got no reviews so I guess we all need some smut. XD This means more gratuitous smut in the future, too. Enjoy!

Sometimes, one thing makes all the difference.

Aizen wasn't expecting his arrancar to triumph over the shinigami. Not when the Visored had arrived, at least. Before that they might have won but with the Visored in the fray, they were simply outnumbered.

All that changed with Violetta's bankai raging across the sky. It was a vicious power and while Violetta herself would not be eager to kill, her zanpakuto felt differently. Combined with the power of Halibel and Starrk, the warriors of Soul Society began to fall. Too late for Barragan, but that was just too bad. Those who fell to Halibel and Starrk were the lucky ones. Several faced Kuroikaze and they were horribly maimed, if they didn't perish outright.

Soon, the three of them were facing Aizen as he smiled at them benignly.

"You have done well." He sounded approving. Violetta just snuggled against Starrk. His arm was around her, holding her close. "Now, we will go to Karakura town and I will begin my ascent to the throne."

And so they did. Along with Gin, the three arrancar followed Aizen to the true Karakura town. Violetta felt some regret as she understood what was coming. All those people would be sacrificed to Aizen's ambition. But there was nothing she could do. Her life was tied to Aizen's fortunes, just like all the arrancar. They would support him as best they could.

No one expected Gin's treachery. He caught everyone, including Aizen completely off guard. Starrk's instinctive reaction was to grab her and sonido away. Halibel's was to attack the traitor, and that nearly killed her. Gin was ready for it… but then Aizen intervened. His sword, bisecting the fox-faced man, came as a shock. But all three of them were still loyal. Why wouldn't they be?

Then came Kurosaki Ichigo. Only Starrk could sense his power and he knew that none of them could join this battle and hope to live. When Ichigo swept Aizen away they followed, but at a safe distance. They watched the vast powers being unleashed. They watched the Final Getsuga Tenshou and saw Aizen's imprisonment.

And that, for the shinigami, was exactly where everything went wrong.

"Keep them off me while I free him!" Violetta hissed and Starrk and Halibel both nodded. They attacked, aiming most of their force at Urahara Kisuke. Ichigo's power was fading rapidly, rendering him not a threat, and Orihime Inoue had never been much of a danger. She cried out but Kisuke tried to reassure her.

"Without kido they can't free him!" He called and Violetta noted that. Clearly, he'd missed what Kuroikaze really was. An easy mistake to make, really… her zanpakuto's power could easily be mistaken for some kind of hollow derivative.

But she had kido and she was good at it. Not a master in the league of Kisuke, perhaps, but bindings were meant to hold against pressure from within, not without. Violetta's eyes narrowed as she moved her hands and raised her voice in the words that would free Aizen from his prison. Kisuke realized what was happening and his eyes went wide as he tried to attack her, but Starrk was there. Protecting his mate from any harm.

The binding shattered. Urahara tried to scoop up Ichigo and escape, but failed messily. Aizen was extremely upset and took his frustrations out on the man who had attempted to stop him. Then, for good measure, he slaughtered the young man who had very nearly succeeded. Violetta winced as Starrk did something kind… he forced Orihime to look away, pressing her against his chest. She sobbed and beat him with her fists, but might as well have been straining against a boulder. Aizen's gaze fell on her for a moment and Violetta swallowed, sensing he was thinking of ending her too… but then he clearly decided against it.

"Come." He said to the three remaining Espada. Starrk picked up Orihime, taking her with them. Violetta frowned at that. She wasn't threatened by the human woman but…

"Why are you…?" She asked and Starrk gave her a small, troubled smile.

"Her power is unique and that area is unstable. Besides, if she's not with us when the key is forged…" He let that trail off and Violetta nodded, glancing at Orihime. She was begging them to do something, anything, to stop the massacre that was coming. Sharing a glance with Starrk, Violetta struggled to ignore the woman. There was absolutely nothing they could do. And they were hollows. While Violetta could abstractly understand that such a thing was wrong, the difference really had no meaning for her. For Starrk and Halibel, if anything, it meant even less.

They all watched as the King's Key was forged. All the power in Karakura town, the energy of the land, the hollows and the human souls, was sucked into the Hogyoku to create the Oken. The only exceptions were the three Espada and the young human woman in Starrk's arms. Aizen handled that by creating a safe zone around himself, which was excluded from the pull. When that was done Starrk set Orihime down, telling her to wait as they joined Aizen in his trip to the Celestial realm. She was collapsed on the ground weeping as they began their final ascent.

This would be the end for the Soul King and the beginning of a new era.

Violetta rubbed her forehead, feeling like she had a mild headache. It had been happening off and on days and she really couldn't understand it.

Aizen was still in the middle of consolidating his hold on Soul Society and for the surviving Espada, things were busy. Violetta was feeling almost stuffed with power. Every shinigami that Kuroikaze killed was a soul she absorbed, and she'd summoned her bankai many, many times since this had begun. It took some power to do that, of course, but if the target was reasonably powerful she experienced a net increase. That had let her keep Kuroikaze active on the battlefield longer than Sojun ever could have. The souls of the dead fueled her bankai…

Shaking away that unsettling thought, she continued helping with the subjugation of Soul Society. This had all been planned out and they knew what to do but it was messy, to say the least.

"Violetta-sama." One of her arrancar minions knelt in front of her. She'd been given a field promotion to Espada, despite her pregnancy. "We are having an issue at the Academy…" Violetta almost groaned. Why there? She didn't want to hurt youngsters.

"Please explain." She requested and the arrancar detailed the problem. A group of kido instructors had organized the students into a reasonably effective militia. They'd had a few minor victories over the marauding arrancar. Alas, with only three Espada, the command structure was not what it should be. "Take, hm, Loperez, Ttero and Mssufi and break it up." That should be sufficient. "If you can't, come get me." That seemed unlikely but you never knew. And she had other things to do. In fact, any time now – "Ah." A flare had just gone off, her signal to enter a much larger conflict. The noble clans were resisting them and they had more resources than the Academy. "Excuse me…" Leaving him to it, she summoned Kuroikaze and prepared herself to unleash him against the Shihoin clan. They should have taken Aizen's offer.

It was time to show them the new power in Soul Society.

Violetta walked through her inner world, looking for what was troubling her.

Kuroikaze had finally informed her that the cause of her headaches lay there. That was a very interesting tidbit of information, but she hadn't been able to do much with it for days. They had been too busy subjugating their new subjects.

But that was mostly done, now. Aizen had come down from the Soul King's realm personally to utterly destroy a few stubborn pockets of resistance. That had taken the fire out of the remaining noble clans and shinigami. The taichou were all imprisoned or dead, along with what was left of the Visored. Aizen was going to stay in this realm, now. Apparently whatever he'd needed to do was done, and he would give his full attention to his rebellious subjects.

Violetta lay in her mate's arms, secure as they rested from their labors. They were being guarded by several powerful arrancar, just in case. Starrk was so deeply asleep, nothing short of an earthquake would wake him. Or a threat to his mate. That would certainly do it.

So Violetta was in her inner world. It was as grey and boring as always… or so she thought. Her eyes went wide as she saw a flash of bright pink.

"…?!" There was a man, sitting on the bank of the grey koi pond. His back was to her and she could see the long ponytail of chestnut hair, the little pins he always wore. He had his hat, too, shading his face against the sun. Not that there was much, in the overcast, lifeless place that was her inner world. "Kyoraku taichou?" She said and he turned to look at her. Their eyes met, one set surprised and the other simply resigned.

"Ah, Sojun-san. I wondered when you would come." He said lightly and she winced.

"Please don't call me that." It felt wrong. "My name is Violetta." She said, unsure that he remembered. He nodded with a tired smile.

"I know, I heard. Your zanpakuto allowed me to gaze through your eyes, a few times." He sounded melancholy. She could imagine why. It hadn't been pretty, what they had been doing. "It seems I am powerless and at your mercy." He looked away and she nodded.

"Yes. You are an undigested soul." It was quite obvious. If she had been a mere adjuchas, no doubt they would have been locked in fierce contention to see who would rule over her body. But she wasn't. She was an arrancar and a condition that would have been a deep threat was merely a nuisance. Her eyes softened as she looked at the sad, tired, almost broken man. "I'm sorry." She said softly and he glanced back towards her.

"Then why did you do it?" He asked and she blinked, wondering what he meant. Surely he understood why she had killed him. "Why did you join Aizen in the first place?" Ah. A better question.

"You say that as if I had a choice." She said lightly and he frowned. "When Aizen came calling he might have framed his words as a request, but it was very clear to all of us that the alternative was death. And no single hollow could stand against the might of three shinigami taichou." That was simply true. Even Starrk had ultimately had no choice in giving his allegiance. Refusal would have been very messy and quite fatal. "I'm sorry, but blaming us is pointless. There is truly no one to blame but yourselves."

"Ah. Yes, I suppose you are right. That doesn't make things better, however." He said and she nodded. She imagined it made things quite a bit worse. "Will you kill me, then?" He asked idly, as if the answer really didn't matter. Violetta hesitated a moment. She wanted to hug him, comfort him. But even if she was the shade of his lost student she didn't think he would appreciate it.

"I… don't know." She didn't have to. He was no threat to her, his power shattered and his soul trapped within her stable soul collection. "Do you want me to?" She asked, wondering if he did. This place had to be insanely boring. He stiffened for a moment in surprise, then laughed. It was a soft but terribly bitter sound.

"Ah, that is a good question. I don't know. I really don't…" He glanced around thoughtfully. "Was it always like this? Or is it because you are an arrancar?" He asked and she frowned. She didn't know. Then there was a soft buzz and a black cloud flew overhead.

When Sojun lived, this place was alive. Except when I killed things. Kuroikaze sounded pleased with himself and Violetta sighed. It was no wonder that poor soul had never achieved bankai, dealing with such a hideous zanpakuto. But it was nothing like this. This is an amalgamation of many souls, frozen in death.

"Mmm." Shunsui turned around, looking at some of the objects frozen in the grey. Many related to Sojun and Soul Society, but there were plenty that didn't. "I can see that." He mused before sighing. "If the choice is death or remaining here forever… I just don't know." He sounded melancholy, now. Violetta rubbed her forehead, feeling deeply pained.

"You have time to think about it." She offered and he nodded. "And you can look through my eyes, if you want." If she'd been an adjuchas she would never have dared make that offer. But with her zanpakuto and the stability of her soul collection, there was no issue. He smiled at her but it was a tired, saddened expression.

"I'll ask your zanpakuto for the best times." He said and she understood. He didn't want to see much of what she was doing. The subjugation of the noble clans, the suffering of his fellow taichou… why should he want to see that? There was nothing he could do.

Feeling saddened and uncertain, Violetta left her inner world for a deeper, more natural sleep.

There was nothing she could do, either.

Or so she thought. As it turned out, she was wrong.

Szayel was going on about how to control the remaining taichou. They were going to use the hollow Claim for many of them. Shunsui asked quietly for an explanation and Violetta muttered one to him, as he shared her eyes. It was an Espada meeting and as much as it pained him, he was curious about the future of Soul Society. And very concerned about his old friend. The thought of Juushiro being Claimed made him feel ill, from what she could sense.

However, there weren't many surviving Espada. Starrk, Halibel, Grimmjow, Szayel and now, herself. Her promotion to Espada had been made permanent. Aizen did not want taichou-class reiatsu being held by anything less than an Espada, and for good reason. It had already been demonstrated that the lower ranks could not absolutely hold someone of that power. That had been messy and the taichou-class power in question, a man named Ikkaku, had nearly escaped. Aizen had been mildly surprised to discover that the man had a bankai.

Violetta thought he would regret revealing that because Aizen quickly decided that Starrk would be allowed three Claims while the rest would be allowed two. That would leave plenty of the survivors unclaimed. The question was, what to do with the extras? Aizen wanted them brought under some kind of control and Szayel's enthusiasm for the project was unnerving. Violetta could feel that Shunsui was deeply disturbed by the prospect.

"What if we don't care to Claim that many? I prefer women." Starrk asked and Aizen frowned slightly as Grimmjow added his two cents.

"I'm into chicks too. There ain't that many taichou-class ones, yah?" He was right about that. Only Unohana and Soi Fon were truly taichou-class. "You better not take 'em both, Coyote!" He threatened and Starrk shrugged. Aizen sighed softly.

"I would ask that you swallow your distaste and Claim a male or two. Can you do that, Starrk?" Aizen asked and Starrk hesitated before nodding. Then he suddenly looked at Violetta. She blinked at the odd look on his face. She'd never seen that expression on him before.

"Wait, Violetta would have to…" He sounded appalled and she couldn't help but smile as she realized what was going through his mind.

"I'm going to be sharing you with at least one female." She pointed out and he swallowed as Halibel laughed softly, amused by his predicament. "I don't see how you can complain." Really, she didn't WANT to mate with the shinigami anyway. If she had her choice, only Starrk would grace her bed. And… "It will provide extra protection for the child." That settled him a bit. It was a reasonably common reason to make a Claim, if one was lucky enough to be mated with a pup on the way.

"Yeah! Don't worry about it Starrk. More hands to help with the pups!" Lilinette said, completely blasé about the idea of Violetta taking a Claimed pet. "Besides, you're the best in bed anyway." She added and Violetta blinked as Starrk choked. She could hear Shunsui laughing in the back of her mind as Halibel cast her eyes to the heavens. Grimmjow laughed aloud.

"Oi, that right girl? Is he the best?" He asked with a toothy grin and Violette blushed. Then Aizen's voice recalled them all to the meeting.

"Since that is settled…" Aizen began going into more details of how Soul Society would be reorganized. Violetta felt Shunsui's attention leave the meeting as he retreated back to her inner world. Vaguely, she wondered what he was thinking.

No doubt she would find out later.

"I want to make a proposition." Shunsui said to her as they sat on a bench in her inner world. It was as grey as everything yet strangely warm. Violetta looked at him curiously. What possible offer could he have? "My soul is intact within you, correct?"

"Um… yes, somewhat. I'm not as sure about your zanpakuto." Violetta said after a moment. She hadn't seen it manifest here, although that might have something to do with – Kuroikaze spoke, amused.

They are within him. I do not allow them to come out. This is my place. He said firmly and she blinked. That… made sense. He was a rather territorial spirit. Also, I never liked them much. Irritating females.

"Hm! Interesting… well. All the better. If Szayel could make an artificial body for me, could my soul be removed from you?" Shunsui asked and Violetta hesitated. She knew it could, although the process would be painful at best.

"Yes, I could regurgitate you." She said honestly and he suddenly looked taken aback. Probably at the image those words brought to mind. "I… would not object to that. But I think you have more in mind?" She really didn't want to destroy his soul and remaining in her inner world was nearly as bad. He just didn't belong, this handsome, vibrant man. Shunsui sighed, reaching up to push back his hat.

"I will pledge my loyalty to you, to Aizen, to the new order… in return for the safety of Ukitake Juushiro and Ise Nanao." He said softly and Violetta blinked. "A taichou of my strength would be very useful for Aizen."

"Yes, although he would want assurances of your loyalty. But then, he could just have Starrk Claim you." Violetta was relatively sure Aizen would want Kyoraku under Starrk's thumb. If there was one person with the power and the motivation to keep him under control, it would be the Primera. Shunsui grimaced at the thought but nodded.

"I had rather assumed that. But please, could you be the one to Claim Juushiro?" Shunsui sounded pained and Violetta raised her eyebrows. Clearly, Kyoraku thought his friend was straight. She had a few doubts.

"Knowing Soul Society, he could be hiding something. We'll just give him a choice of who he wants." That would take care of any problems. "Nanao is not taichou-class, but we can take her as a fraccion." Aizen would certainly prefer that. He wouldn't want them wasting their Claims on a fukutaichou. "I'll bring this up to Aizen as soon as I can." She pledged and Shunsui nodded with a wan smile. No doubt he wasn't eager to give his loyalty to the conquerors… but he was willing to do anything to see that those who meant the most to him were shielded from harm. And given what they both suspected was going to happen to the taichou-class survivors who were unfortunate enough not to be Claimed, this was definitely the lesser of two evils.

They would have to see how it went.

Regurgitating Shunsui's soul made Violetta think of hawking up the largest hairball in the world.

It started with intense nausea. She had to lean over the artificial body, her mouth open as she forced herself to release him. Then she had to begin the process of getting him out. It was very similar to real vomit… after all, souls were food to hollows. Her spittle splattered against his chest as the soul scraped unpleasantly against the inside of her throat, increasing her discomfort.

Finally, though, she got it out. The bundle of blue fire immediately slid into the body beneath her, the vessel that had been primed for it. Grey eyes fluttered, then opened and they stared at each other for a moment.

"…Ewww." Shunsui muttered as he glanced down his body. Violetta grimaced, sitting back and running a finger through her mouth in an effort to get the taste and feel of stomach acid out. It didn't really help much.

"Oh hush. That was awful." She rested a hand on her growing belly. She was almost six months along, now. An arm went around her shoulders and she smiled weakly at Starrk as he stared hard at the shinigami. Shunsui gave him a tentative smile, which was not returned. "It felt like tossing the biggest, nastiest cookie in the world." She never wanted to do that again. Shunsui looked at her thoughtfully.

"For me, I felt… compressed. I imagine that's what being born feels like." He said, which made her blink and Starrk's grip on her tighten. "…Does someone have a towel?"

"Yes, yes. Violetta, get off please." Szayel said impatiently and she let Starrk help her off the man. Her legs felt rubbery and she had to lean against him, to his concern. Then Szayel gave Kyoraku the towel, shuddering a bit in disgust at the mess. He just began cleaning himself off, taking it in stride. "Now I need to run some tests."

Shunsui calmly accepted the arrancar's scans, knowing it would be futile to do anything else. At the moment, his powers were sealed with a reiatsu limiter around his neck and two more cuffs on his wrists. They would be removed only after Szayel was happy with his special features and Starrk had laid his Claim. Violetta worried slightly about the 'special features'. She knew they included a tracker but Szayel hadn't wanted to divulge the rest, which made her nervous. Starrk didn't seem particularly worried, though.

"Ah… I know what has to come next." Shunsui said with a smile that didn't conceal his apprehension. Starrk just stared at him, until Violetta kicked him in the leg.

"Ow! What?" He asked, rubbing himself with a frown and she frowned at him. "I was just…"

"I think we all know what you were doing." She said severely. She was already getting tired of the territorial behavior and it was going to get worse, not better, until they'd settled in with their new Claims. "You can compare sizes with him if you want, before you Claim him." She said and ignored the choking sound Shunsui made. "Now come on. I want a bed for this." She was going to be involved, which was part of what had Starrk's hackles up. But he didn't like men and she knew Shunsui didn't. She was going to help them both out.

"Wait, you want a bed?" Shunsui was surprised and Violetta smiled at him as Starrk actually growled. She looked at him severely and frowned as she saw his eyes were glowing, just a touch.

"Starrk, if you can't get your instincts under control I will have to Claim him." She said firmly and he closed his eyes for a moment, gripping his hair with one hand as he fought back the urge to kill the interloping male. "Good… and yes, I'm going to be the 'teaser'. It was Grimmjow's suggestion." A suggestion that had nearly gotten him killed by an irate Primera. Fortunately, Grimmjow could run very fast. Lilinette had thought it was beyond hilarious. "Come on, this way."

The bed they had was actually just a floor mat and a few pillows. It worked just fine, and soon Starrk was preparing Shunsui for anal intercourse. Violetta watched, mildly interested. She'd never done that and wondered what it was like. From the way the man groaned it wasn't a pleasant feeling, but they all knew it was going to get much, much better when the Claim started. Stripping off her dress, she nuzzled Starrk and kissed him, letting him arouse himself with her.

It worked well, particularly as the Claim started. The sound Shunsui made when Starrk sank into him was pained, but it quickly turned into a startled gasp as intensely pleasurable reiatsu flooded his body. As he took Shunsui in a slow, deliberate rhythm, Starrk's eyes stayed on her but took on a slightly unfocused look. Violetta was absolutely certain that he was fantasizing that the body gripping him was hers.

Violetta's eyes, meanwhile, were moving over the scene, pausing here and there. She gazed at Shunsui's face, twisted in pleasure and a bit of pain. Down his muscular back and then over Starrk's wonderful chest, settling on his face for a moment, the intense absorption there. Then her gaze travelled down to where their bodies were joined and she swallowed, wondering. Was she supposed to be aroused by this?

The speed of their coupling increased and Violetta watched, wide eyed, as Starrk rode Shunsui firmly. The shinigami was almost whimpering, the power that the Primera was pumping into him teasing all of his nerve endings. As she watched, Starrk sank his fangs into that muscular throat and Shunsui arched with a cry of absolute ecstasy. The look on his face was completely absorbed in his pleasure as his body shook with the force of his orgasm. Starrk followed a moment later, groaning into warm skin as he came to completion. Violetta licked her lips, her inner muscles clenching a bit at the sight. The two men collapsed together, their bodies still tangled as they trembled and fought to recover from what they had done.

"I… admit… that was better with some tits in my face." Starrk muttered as he regained control, pulling his body free of Shunsui. The shinigami had his face in the blankets but raised his head with a blink.

"Why didn't I get that…?" He asked plaintively and Starrk gave him a look that Violetta easily interpreted as territorial. She wasn't going to tolerate that so she smiled, putting a finger under Shunsui's chin and lifting his head as she settled in front of him, her breasts perfectly positioned for him. Grey eyes fixed on her and she smiled at the arrested look on his face. "Oh. I, ah, thank you." He sounded a touch stunned and she giggled before smiling at Starrk.

"I hope you're not exhausted." She said teasingly and he growled, his eyes glowing blue as he moved. She was easily pinned onto her back, her mate on top of her. She shuddered as she felt his muscles against her, vaguely aware of Shunsui watching them both. And she was also aware that Starrk likely wanted him to. Her mate was feeling intensely territorial and wanted to mark his woman in front of the other male. That might have been annoying but the thought of being watched as she had sex… Violette moaned as her breasts were cupped, Starrk's big hands exploring her as he explored her throat, finding the best places to suck.

This was going to be an amazing night.


End file.
